For several months, the US has been helping Ukraine strike Russian energy facilities from afar, the British newspaper “Financial Times“ (FT) reported. According to sources in the publication, this is part of a coordinated campaign aimed at undermining the Russian economy and forcing President Vladimir Putin to start negotiations. US intelligence allows Kiev to plan attacks on key energy facilities in Russia, including oil refineries located far behind the front lines, the sources note.
It was not known until now that Washington was providing such support to Kiev. The US intelligence data provided to Ukraine has become a decisive factor in the intensification of Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory, for which Kiev did not have the approval of the previous US administration - that of Joe Biden, the FT recalls. The result is visible: the Ukrainian strikes led to a rise in fuel prices in Russia and forced Moscow to reduce diesel exports and increase fuel imports.
A change in Trump's position
According to the British publication, this new development shows that US President Donald Trump, disappointed with the Russian leader, has decided to strengthen his support for Ukraine. The turning point was a telephone conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, during which Trump asked whether Ukraine would be able to strike Moscow if Washington provided it with long-range weapons.
Two informed interlocutors of the “Financial Times“ claim that Trump is pursuing a strategy aimed at “making the Russians feel pain“ and forcing the Kremlin to sit at the negotiating table. The White House later clarified that Trump "only asked a question, but did not call for more killings."
How the US is helping Ukraine plan the strikes
The publication in the British edition also makes it clear that US intelligence is helping Ukraine determine the routes, altitude, time and parameters of the attacks, allowing the drones to bypass Russian air defense systems.
Three sources familiar with the operation claim that Washington is involved in all stages of planning. One of the US officials said that Ukraine selects the targets, and the US provides information about their vulnerabilities. Other sources have indicated that Washington itself determines the priority targets. One of them called the Ukrainian drones "a tool of the US" to undermine the Russian economy and put pressure on Putin.
What do these strikes achieve?
The active support of the United States became noticeable after Ukraine sharply increased the frequency and precision of attacks on Russian oil and gas facilities in August and September. According to data from the research group Energy Aspects, the strikes damaged at least 16 of 38 Russian oil refineries, disrupting the processing of more than a million barrels of oil per day.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said these days that its elite unit “Alpha“, using long-range drones, struck the “Bashneft-UNPZ“ oil refinery in Ufa, about 1,400 km from the Ukrainian border. This is the third attack on energy facilities in Bashkortostan in a month.
The British publication has learned from the SBU that “the long-range strikes are aimed at destroying the enemy's military potential, including its economic capabilities”. It also states that Kiev is determined to “expand the scale and frequency of strikes on Russian territory“.
Zelensky: We are getting better
At a briefing in Kiev, President Zelensky refused to comment on the role of the United States in organizing strikes on targets deep inside Russian territory, but said that Ukraine “works with American intelligence primarily for defense“, referring to the “Patriot“, NASAMS and IRIS-T air defense systems supplied by Western partners.
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine's successes in carrying out long-range strikes are primarily related to the development of Ukrainian technology. “Our unmanned aerial vehicles, missile drones and other missiles are getting better: they have more functions, the volume of their production is growing“, he said. The Ukrainian leader specified that long-range unmanned aircraft Fire Point and "Lyuty" are used for strikes on Russian territory - sometimes up to 300 units per raid. In addition, Ukrainian missiles "Neptune" and "Flamingo" are used.
Will Kiev receive "Tomahawk" missiles?
The American president is apparently considering a further step: whether the US should provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
However, Trump said he wanted to "understand better how exactly they will be used". Zelensky confirmed that the Tomahawk option was being considered. "This could strengthen Ukraine and sober up Russia," he said.
Author: Sergey Romashenko